Directions

• The information in this Nearpod will be

very important for your final test of the

year on Japan and Korea

• Read and screenshot each slide

• Complete all activities within this Nearpod

Thinking Questions

• Study the Map

• Based on Korea’s Geography, why would

it serve as a “bridge” of cultural traditions

between China and Japan?

• Based on Korea’s Geography, why might

maintaining its independence have been a

struggle throughout its history?

Korea

“A shrimp among

whales”

Thinking Question Summary

• Due its geography, many cultural traditions from

China and Japan have appeared in Korea such

as:

• The Civil Service exam

• The style of Chinese writing and

• The teachings of Confucius

• Several times throughout its history Korea has

been a tributary state of China or Japan, due to

its closeness to both nations, but Korea has

always maintained its own culture

Korea 300 AD-600 AD

• Divided into three separate kingdoms

• Kingdoms share some common values such as Buddhism

• Three Kingdoms spend most of their time fighting each other or China

• *Kaya was a separate Kingdom more influenced by Japan than Korean culture

• In 668 the Shilla Kingdom, with the backing of China, united the Korean Peninsula

• Korea would have three dynasties in its history known as the:

• Shilla (668-918)

• Koryo (918-1392)

• Choson (1392-1910)

Korea United

The Influence of China

• Under the Shilla Dynasty Korea was a Tributary state of China

• Korea began to see itself in relation to China as the Confucian relationship:

• “Older brother superior to younger brother” and therefore must show China respect

• Korea makes certain modifications to Chinese tradtions for example:

• Civil service exams could only be taken by gentry unlike in China

Advances in Technology Adapted

from China but made Korean • Woodblock printing from China is used to

produce Buddhist texts under Koryo

dynasty

• Celadon ware – blue/green porcelain –

Technology lost forever with Mongol

invasions in 1200’s

Preservation of Culture • Hangul – Korean alphabet –

symbols represented the sounds of spoken Korean and was far easier to write than the thousands of letters in the Chinese alphabet

• Led to very high literacy rate

• Think back to the “Thinking questions” on geography, why would the creation and widespread use of their own alphabet be a very important step in allowing Korea to maintain its culture?

• The development and use of the Hangul language helps Korea preserve its culture in the face of both Chinese and Japanese aggression

Preserving culture (cont) • Mongols occupy Korea from 1200s until 1350s

• 1392 General Yi Song-gye establishes the

Choson Dynasty and sets up a government

based on Confucianism

• Japan tried to invade Korea in 1590’s

• Koreans, with Chinese help, defeat Japan

• Used “turtle boats” (metal-plated) under the

command of the admiral Yi Sun-Shin to defeat

the Japanese

Yi Sun-shin uses “turtle boats” to

stop the Japanese invasion

Summary Prompts

• In your notes:

• List 4 examples of cultural traditions which

have been passed onto Korea from China

• List and explain 4 ways that Korea has

preserved its culture despite its close

proximity to China and Japan

Cultural traditions

Adopted from China (Answer Key)

• Confucian Teachings

• Buddhism

• Woodblock printing

• Porcelain

• Civil service exams

Ways Korea has preserved its culture

(Answer Key)

• Civil service exams could only be

taken by gentry unlike in China

• Celadon ware – blue/green porcelain

• Hangul alphabet (Language)

• Used “turtle boats” (metal-plated) under

the command of the admiral Yi Sun-Shin

to defeat the Japanese in the 1590s